The Pope

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Deranged Nasat, Feb 11, 2013.

  1. Deranged Nasat

    Deranged Nasat Vice Admiral Admiral

    So, I'm sure this is already being discussed in the Neutral Zone, where Nasats fear to tread, but I only just heard the news about the Pope resigning. My knowledge of the religious traditions involved isn't the best - can anyone explain the likely fallout of this? Is it relatively common for a pope to step down due to age? Most of the recent popes have died in office.
     
  2. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    Apparently it's not unheard of for a Pope to step down due to age, but it's been a while (as in centuries I believe)
     
  3. Deranged Nasat

    Deranged Nasat Vice Admiral Admiral

    I believe Benedict XVI was one of the oldest to take office...
     
  4. Squiggy

    Squiggy FrozenToad Admiral

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    Gregory the XII was the last pope to step down, in 1415. However, that was for political reasons as he had lost the support of his cardinals.
     
  5. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    He's saying it's for health reasons, and, for my money, he didn't look well at the 2012 Midnight Mass.
     
  6. Thor Damar

    Thor Damar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    What? The Emperor is resigning?

    (I seriously wasn't expecting that...)
     
  7. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    I’m assuming in these last few weeks he’ll be partnered up with a young, crazy, loose cannon of a priest…
     
  8. DS9Continuing

    DS9Continuing Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I find the Catholic Church to be a rather loathsome institution in general, but I hope they take this golden opportunity to move into the 21st century (or hell, the 19th would do) and try to get in step with the real world, rather than dig in and double down with the right-wing craziness that has pushed them further and further towards irrelevance and obsolescence.

    We've been joking around the office that there must be some massive scandal in the offing and he's getting out before it hits. But then I thought, what else could there possibly be that's worse than what everybody already knows?

    Or as someone else said, "time for a room full of virgins to get together and decide who gets the wear the white dress."

    .
     
  9. bbailey861

    bbailey861 Admiral Admiral

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    It'll never happen.
     
  10. Squiggy

    Squiggy FrozenToad Admiral

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    Nah...he's getting too old for that shit.
     
  11. Chaos Descending

    Chaos Descending Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Humor me, what do you mean by this?

    Ordination of women? Acceptance of abortion? Ordination of homosexuals?
     
  12. Timelord Victorious

    Timelord Victorious Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Stopping to condem condoms as an instrument of the devil would be a start...
     
  13. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    :)
     
  14. DS9Continuing

    DS9Continuing Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Any of those would do.

    The problem with the traditions of the Catholic Church are that they are completely contrary to actual human nature as it really is, rather than some unattainable ideal. They are the very epitome of "Do as I say, not as I do."

    If only they weren't so utterly unrealistic, all of the scandals that have befallen them would have never happened. But because they try to deny all that is normal in the human experience and force guilt over things that are completely natural, all those natural human urges come out in the ugliest, most destructive ways possible. But they are so entrenched in values which went out of date decades if not centuries ago that they just keep doing the same thing over and over, and it will never get better unless they change something very fundamental.

    If there is to be a new pope, he or she should be one who can accept the real world in 2013 as it is, and that there need not be a contradiction between following a spiritual calling and being anything other than a straight white male. "Christian" does not need to be a synonym for "sexist," "racist" or "homophobic," despite so many trying to force it to be exactly that.

    There is nothing wrong with trying to live up to an ideal, and trying to better yourself. But so few so-called Christinas actually do that, and so little of what we hear about the church embodies any of the values they claim to hold.

    I mean, look at this story here - a Catholic priest was arrested for chasing an underage boy down the street in his underwear after having molested him and tried to take a photo, and his explanation was "I was drunk." That's his alibi! Or this one here - a Catholic priest offered oral sex to a cop to get out of a drink driving ticket. And a million more. Things like this would not happen if they weren't living under such a repressive, fantasist regime.

    Or the fact that the Vatican would waste time punishing its own over having a different opinion on social issues - here - instead of putting their effort where Christ supposedly said they should - helping people. No instead they condemn and condemn and condemn, while denying truth and lying to cover up their own tracks. How does any of this reflect actual Christian values?

    With the ordination of a new pope, the church has a chance to modernise and be relevant again. Because the way they're going, the Catholic Church is driving away its own audience. The world is moving on, and if they can't keep up, they will die. Ah, but that's Darwin, and they don't believe in him either.

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  15. Squiggy

    Squiggy FrozenToad Admiral

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    No need to be PC.

    There will be a new pontiff.
    He will be a he.

    Accidental Haiku!
     
  16. Chaos Descending

    Chaos Descending Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The role of the church is not to please men, but to please God.

    Those two goals rarely converge with regards to means.
     
  17. Squiggy

    Squiggy FrozenToad Admiral

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    They already do one of those things. I'll let you guess which one.
     
  18. Chaos Descending

    Chaos Descending Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I'm referring to "official public acceptance of the practice", not "well, it sort of winds up happening and then a slew of kids get molested and suffer trauma all their lives".
     
  19. B.J.

    B.J. Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    It's kinda obvious you're not Catholic (I am), and this statement right here proves it. I'm assuming you're referring to the theory of evolution when you invoke Darwin here, and I can tell you that Catholics do believe in evolution. They even teach it in my kids' Catholic school.
     
  20. DS9Continuing

    DS9Continuing Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I wasn't "trying" to be PC. I was simply expressing my view that the role should be open to whomever best serves it, regardless of gender. I don't expect it to actually be a woman, at least not yet, but I do believe it should be a woman, eventually, and that there is no good reason for it not to be, ever.


    But it doesn't seem to actually do that, does it? In fact, the way the media portrays it, the Church seems to be more riddled with human failings than the rest of non-religious society at large. A lot of that may be schadenfreude - we enjoy tearing down those who set themselves up above us - but it certainly seems to me that the Church is mostly about holding onto its own power, the same as any large and powerful institution, and not about serving God in anything other than name and appearance.


    Well, that certainly seems to be coming dangerously close to accusing gay men of being child molesters.

    Allow people to express their genuine sexuality in normal ways, and it doesn't come out in abnormal ways directed at the vulnerable and dependent people.


    Indeed I am not Catholic, or religious in any way. In fact, I would pretty much say I have been driven to seething hatred and resentment of organised religion in all its forms thanks to the Church's constant attempts to portray my kind of people as subhuman scum who do not deserve life, liberty, safety or equality.

    But why then do I hear about so many stories about American Republican politicians trying to force creationism into schools? Why do the majority of Republicans doubt evolution is real? Maybe those aren't Catholics, I don't know.

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    Last edited: Feb 11, 2013